Support shield for hangers



Dec. 12, 1950 H. A. TOMARIN SUPPORT SHIELD FOR HANGERS Filed March 18, 1948 INVENTOR. 6 HARRY A. TOMARIN Patented Dec. 12, 1950 SUPPORT SHIELD FOR HANGERS Harry A. Tomarin, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Loroco Industries Incorporated, Reading, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application March 18, 1948, Serial No. 15,538

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparel protectors and more particularly to guards or supports of the type adapted to be associated with the lower or horizontal leg of a wire garment hanger.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive support which is an improvement over other supports presently on the market; my support being constructed to permit limited transverse shifting relative to the legs of a supporting garment hanger incident to tilting or turning of the support relative to the hanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support which includes simple, yet highly efiective means for looking it to a garment hanger against accidental or unintentional displacement therefrom.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a trouser support having the hereinabove described characteristics and which will normally support an item of wearing apparel in a non creasing manner, and which is adapted to effectively preclude accidental or unintentional relative movement between the support and an item of wearing apparel suspended therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support with hanger engaging means which are adapted to lock it to a hanger in such a manner as to eifectively preclude disassociation of the support from a hanger even though the central or an intermediate portion of the support be twisted 180 or more from its normal position with reference to a hanger.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a garment support having the hereinabove described characteristics which may be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured using modern mass production techniques.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a garment support embodying the teachings of the present invention may be fabricated.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a completed support associated in normal relationship with a garment hanger.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the support in a tilted, transversely offset relationship relative to the hanger.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the hanger and support of Fig. 3 but wherein the support has been twisted thru approximately 200 relative to its normal position, for illustrating the locking relationship between the support and hanger.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the normal relationship between the lower or horizontal leg of a hanger, the support and an item of wearing apparel suspended therefrom.

Fig. 6 is an end view showing the relationship of the hanger, support and item of wearing apparel when an eridwise pull has been exerted. on side panel 62 thereof.

With reference to Fig. l, the numeral l0 indicates a strip of sheet material, such as by way of example, cardboard, including side edges l2 and I3 and end edges :4 and i5. laterally spaced apertures 16 and I! are provided in the strip on longitudinal axis IBI8 and spaced from ends 15' and I 5 respectively, as disclosed. It should be understood that the lateral spacing between apertures It and I! approximates the lateral spacing of the lower ends of the convergent legs 21] of a wire garment hanger where they merge into lower or horizontal leg 22 (Fig. 4). The size of each aperture is and ll will preferably be 01" such a dimension as to loosely receive a leg 20 of a hanger.

Transverse slots 24 and 25 are provided, intersecting apertures l6 and H on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the strip, said slots preferably intersecting adjacent halves of said apertures. That is, slot 24 intersects the right half of aperture l6 and slot 25 intersects the left half of aperture ll. By use of the term left and right half of apertures l6 and I1, respectively, I intend to include all relationships varying from tangential intersection with the adjacent edges of the apertures l6 and I! on axis l8l8, to a diametric intersection along a vertical diameter of said apertures. In the preferred embodiment, the intersection of the slots with their respective apertures closely approximates a tangential intersection as illustrated in Fig. 1, but as above indicated, other relationships up and including a diametric intersection may be resorted to, within the scope of the present invention.

A pair of slits 30 and 3| inclined relative to and disposed on opposite sides of longitudinal axis l8-l8 are provided for interconnecting apertures l6 and IT, respectively, with the adjacent end edges [4 and I5 of the strip. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a flap or tongue like member 34 is provided in each of slits 30 and 3| for providing an interfering member projecting across the axis of said slits, as illustrated. The outer end of each slit may terminate in a notch 50.

The blank of Fig. 1 is suitably bent or curved about its longitudinal axis by means of a heated forming die or the like, thereby imparting the arcuate form, in a transverse section, disclosed in Fig. 5.

The support may be associated with a hanger by introducing the lower end of one of the upwardly convergent legs 2|} of a hanger into notch 50, after which an endwise force will introduce said leg into, thence along a slit, thence into aperture 6. A similar operation will locate the other leg of the hanger in aperture l1, whereby the support will engage the hanger as disclosed in Fig. 2, with the longitudinal axis l8-l8 of the support disposed in substantial vertical alignment with lower leg 22 of the hanger.

This so-called normal relationship is likewise illustrated in Fig. 5, which discloses a garment draped from a support to provide intermediate portion 6|, front and rear panels 62 and 64.

Slots 24 and 25 are constructed and arranged to receive legs 20 incident to a transverse shifting or displacement of the support relative to the lower leg of a hanger. Such transverse dis placement will occur when the: supportis tilted or turned about .lower. leg 22, as illustrated in Figs; 3 and 6, and when thus tilted, the support is positively locked relative to the hanger.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, a downward pull on panel 62 of a suspended garment will emphasize the locking relationship between the support and the'legs of the hanger since the upper side edge l2 of the support will be fully elevated-to provide a sharp, well defined interfering edge which will effectively resist and preclude relative motion between the item ofwearing apparel and the support. This feature is quite important since it will prevent items of wearing'apparel, such as by way of example, skirts, trousers and the like, from falling or being pulled off of their support member incident to a bagging operation, other handling operation, and transportation of newly cleaned garments from cleaning establishments tothe owners thereof.

Hangers and the garments supported therefrom:.are normally suspended from automatic conveyor: systems in the larger dry cleaning plantss. Such conveyors are provided with abrupt changes in elevation at various stations, and'here tofore'great difficulty has been experienced when-v loaded: supports are-subject to said sudden and abrupt elevational changes. I-Ieretofore garment supports frequently become dislodged-.from'their respective I hangers,. and quitepoften the garments 1 draped over the .supports become dislodged .there- I from when subjectedto such sudden and abrupt elevational changes. The support ofthe present invention. has completely'eliminated bothof these disadvantages inherent in other supports.

With reference nowto Fig.4, it will be'observed that-the. support has been twisted by; more than 180; from its normal relationshipwith a'hanger,

without becoming; disassociated therefrom- This is of particular importance in" cleaning establishments,-.or wherever such supports are'used, since.

it positively, and. effectively precludes accidental or unintentional disassociation of a support from its hanger evennwhen' carelessly and roughly,

handled by indifferent employees.

When the central portion of the support'is' turned or twisted the legs originally seated in apertures 55 and H will be shifted transversely into slots 24 and.25 respectively andaportionA'of:

Fig. 3 will be elevated toabutting relationship with the rear face of legs 23 adjacent their lower ends,- asdisclosed in Fig. 4. The support will not become' unfastened from the hanger, inthezab sence-cf-anv intentional. or deliberateuact aofcre- 4 moval, until it has been further twisted by an amount sufiicient to shorten its overall effective length whereby to cause portion A to become disengaged from its illustrated abutting relationship with legs 20.

With particular reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be observed that slots 24 and 25 provide efficient and highly effective locking means for securing the support to a hanger, particularly when the hanger has been transversely shifted relative to the longitudinal axis of the support. in which event slots 24 and 25 define a hook-like arrangement with the legs of a supporting hanger. In this connection and by way of contrast, it will be noted that in conventional trouser guards presently on the market relative transverseshifting between a guard and its associated hanger cannot be accomplished, short of destruction of the guard. Conventional trouser guards are likewise subject to the inherent disadvantage of becoming detached from a hanger incident to normal handling to which such devices are customarily subjected.

With reference again to Fig. 3, it will be observed that when the legs of a hanger have been received within the ends of slots 24 and 25, said legs are disposed in an interfering, or nonaccessible relationship with the inner' ends of slits 3S and 35, thereby efiectively precluding disengagement of the support from the hanger.

It should be understood that a support will be locked to a hanger.

As hereinabove explained, and as illustrated in the drawings, the outer end of inclined slits 3i! .and 3! terminate in outer end edges it and 55,

.to a hanger since the support need be distorted but a minimum in order'to effect a seatingof the legs of a hanger in apertures l5 and ii.

It should "be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the structural details of the device, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A. support for hangers of the type including a horizontal leg the opposite ends of com prise a continuation of the lower ends of a pair of upwardly convergent legs, said support fabricated from a strip of sheet material having a pair of apertures provided thereinon the longitudinal axis and spaced from the ends thereof, tangentially engaging and interconnecting each aperture with an adjacent end edge of the strip for controlling access to said apertures, the slit for each aperture inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the strip and being located on opposite sides of said axis at each end thereof, each slit terminating at its outer end in a notch provided in the end edge of the strip, each slit including interfering means extending across a straight line drawn between the points of intersection with its respective aperture and the end edge of the strip, and slots transversely intersecting said apertures on opposite'sides of said axis, each of said slots constructed and arranged to receive the legs of a hanger when transversely displaced from its respective aperture incident to turning of the support about its longitudinal axis.

2. A support for hangers of the type including a horizontal leg the opposite ends of which comprise a continuation of the lower ends of a pair of upwardly convergent legs, said support fabricated from a strip of sheet material having a pair of apertures providedftherein on the longitudinalaxis and spaced from the ends thereof, slits tangentially engaging and interconnecting each aperture with an adjacent end edge of the strip forcontrolling access to said apertures, the slit for each aperture inclined relative to the longitudinalaxis of the strip 'and being located on opposite sides of said axis at-each end thereof, each slit terminating at its outer end in a notch provided in the end edgeflof, the strip, and arcuateslots transversely intersecting each aperture at a point removed from the connection of the tangential slit and on opposite sides of said axis, eachfiof said slots constructed and arranged to receive the legs of a hangerfwhen transversely displaced from its respective'aperture incident to turning of the support Iabout its longitudinal axis.

3. A'device of the class described comprising a sheet of strip material having a pair of apertures disposed therethrough one adjacent each end and located on the longitudinal axis of the strip,

a pair of slits inclined relative to and disposed on opposite sides of said axis at each end thereof, each slit interconnecting an aperture with the adjacent end edge of the strip and a transverse slot intersecting each aperture at a point removed from the connection of the slit and on opposite sides of said axis.

4." A support for garment hangers of the type including a horizontal leg the ends of which are formed to provide a pair of upwardly converging legs, said support fabricated from a strip of sheet material having a pair of apertures disposed therethrough on the longitudinal axis and spaced from the ends thereof, slits interconnecting each aperture with an adjacent end edge of the strip, each slit controlling access to its respective aperture, each aperture dimensioned to receive the lower portion of an upwardly convergent leg of a hanger for securing the support in overlapping relationship with the lower leg of the hanger and with its longitudinal axis in substantial vertical alignment with said horizontal leg, and transverse slots intersecting each aperture at a point removed from the connection of the slit on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis constructed and arranged to receive those portions of the legs of a hanger, initially disposed in said apertures, when said support has been tilted about the lower leg of a hanger for securing the support to the hanger with the longitudinal axis thereof transversely displaced from a position in vertical alignment with said horizontal leg.

HARRY A. TOMARIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 1,904,999 Reed Apr. 25, 1933 2,107,003 Johnson Feb. 1 193g 

